Glider



A. P. O'HARE May 16, 1939.

GLIDER Filed July 25, 1938 INVENTOR v QZLORNEY Patented May 16, 1939UNITED STATE PTEN FFiCE 5 Claims.

This invention relates to gliders, especially those known as toyaeroplanes, which are adapted to be launched and capable of soaring fora while. An object is to provide a. glider with wings which may befolded to offer decreased air resistance during launching, and whichwill open automatically in flight, but not immediately after launching.Another object is to provide such a device with delay action means foropening the Wings only after the glider has been launched and has had anopportunity to gain altitude under the launching force, with the wingsfolded. A further object is to render such delay action meansinoperative until just before the glider reaches its greatest height.

A number of suggestions have been made for toy aeroplanes whereby thewings may be folded during launching to oifer less wind resistance. Thedifiiculty with these suggestions has been that the wings openimmediately after launching, thereby cutting down the height to whichthe glider might otherwise ascend if the wings had remained folded.According to this invention, the wings are maintained in foldedposition'aiter launching and not opened to offer increased resistance toupward travel of the glider until sometime later when the glider isnearer to the peak of its upward movement, whereby greater altitude maybe gained and therefore greater soaring time and distance.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a prospective of one embodiment of this invention ready forlaunching.

Fig. 2 shows the glider on Fig. 1 with the open.

Fig. 3 is a detail of the notch in which the elastic band may engage forlaunching.

Fig. 4 is a detail of the rear end of the body portion of the glider.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a section on a line 6-5 of Fig. 2.

The glider has wings ill and H pivoted respectively about the headedpins !2 and iii passing through the wings and also through upper wings 3and lower portions of the wing holding means M, which in turn may besecured by pins 55 and 16 to the body portion ii of the glider. In orderthat the holding means is may be adjusted forwardly or rearwardly, thebody I? is provided with a number of additional holes I8 for receivingthe pins I5 and IS in the location desired for the best longitudinalposition of the Wings with respect to the body portion H. A string orresilient band, such as a rubber band, l9 and 2t, engage one of severalnotches 2! in the forward edge of the wing holding means l4, and alsoengage a notch 22 in the rear edge of the wing. A strand 23, or thread,is attached to each of the wings as illustrated, forming a loop andpassing through an eye 2 3, attached to the body 5 portion l l andextending slightly above, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. Anotherstrand 25 is slideably attached to the loop 23, and extends rearwardly,preferably through one or more guiding eyelets not shown, attached tothe rear body portion. On pulling the strand 25, loop 23 and the wingsare pulled rearwardly until the wings are in the position illustrated inFig. 1 when their adjacent edges abut one another near their pivots.

The after portion of the glider is provided with the usual stabilizers26, and the Vertical or rudder portion 21, neither of which is madeadjustable. The nose, or forward end of the body, may be provided with asoft rubber portion 28, or may be suitably and adjustably weighted.Beneath the wing holding means is provided a notch 29, into which therubber band 39 may be engaged, the band 353 being attached to a fork andstick SE. The rear portion of the body 32 is provided with grooves orroughened portions 33 to assist in holding the rear end of the body inan operators hand, as illustrated in Fig. 1, during the launching. Theother hand of the operator holds the forked stick 3!, and on separatingthe hands the glider is launched under the impetus of the rubber band3d. The hand of the operator holding the rear portion of the body may ormay not hold the strand 25 for the purpose of keeping the wingsretracted. 35

The stabilizer portion of the tail 25 preferably fits in a horizontalslot 34, shown in Fig. 4, while the rudder portion 2? fits in a verticalslot 35. These parts may be inserted after purchase and shipment andheld in place by friction.

Small fins 3t and 371' are pivotally mounted at 33 adjacent to the tipof each Wing, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5. A small pin 39 extendingthrough the wing serves as an abutment to keep the fins 36 and 31 frommoving in a counterclockwise direction during and after launching.

These fins, when in position shown in Fig. 1, offer sufficient airresistance to oppose the opening of the wings until the glider is nearthe peak of its upward travel. When the upward travel becomes slowed,the wind resistance ofiered by these fins 3t and ill is not sufficientto overcome the pull of the rubber hands it and Y28, with the resultthese bands cause the wings to open, swinging from the position shown inFig. l to that shown in Fig. 2. As the wings are opened under the stressof these bands I9 and 20, they engage the forward or closed side of thewing holding means I4 with a slight impact. The end 40 of each fin 36and 31, is preferably slightly weighted so that as the wing comes intothis open position, the slight impact just referred to is sufiicient tocause the weighted ends to be swung in a clockwise direction about thefin pivot 38 and away from the abutment pin 39. As soon as this occursthe fins 36 and 31 are then free to turn about their pivot as a weathervane, to the position 4| shown in Fig. 2, when substantially noresistance is ofiered by these fins.

By adjusting the position of the bands I9 and 29 at each end, thesebands may be moved close to or away from the pivots I2 and I3 so as toadjust the effective lever arm through which the initial force foropening the wings is applied.

When the forward edge of each band I9 and 2B is placed in the notch 42,then when the wings are retracted or folded, the rubber band will be soclose to its pivot pin as to offer only a comparatively weak forcetending to open the wings. lhis comparatively weak force is easilyopposed by the wind resistance offered by the fins 36 and 31 in theirposition shown in Fig. 1.

Another embodiment of this invention contemplates these fins 35 and 31being fixed to the wings substantially in the position shown in Fig. 1.the fins being non-adjustable and offering a little more air resistanceafter the wings are open, though not a serious amount.

In each of these embodiments, the wing holding means is shaped to givethe wings the desired incidence and dihedral inclination. The wings andthe body portion of the glider, as well as stabilizers and rudder, mayall be made of balsa wood, which is comparatively light.

Adjustment of the wings forward or back, with respect to the bodyportion, enables the desired distribution of weight and lifting effectto be obtained longitudinally of the body of the glider. Some similarefiect is obtained by adjustment of the weighted end 28, if desired. Thestrand 25 may extend well in rear of the stabilizers or may be shortenough so as to extend only adjustment to the rear end when the wingsare folded.

The band 3!! engaging the notch 29, functions in much the same manner asthe sling shot. With a different shape wing holding means, it may bepossible to use one instead of two rubber bands for opening the wings.In either event, the res lient band of rubber or other material shouldbe so mounted as to be close to the wing pivot or pivots and exert onlya small moment of force tending to open the wings, this momentincreasing as the wings open.

The delay action means for retarding opening of the wings until theglider is near the summit of its upward movement, is a noteworthyfeature of this invention because it keeps the wings folded where theyoffer less wind resistance than when open and therefore enables theglider to attain a greater upward movement than would be the case if thewings were open immediately after launching. This delay action means,involving the fins 35 and 31, will be understood to be responsive to theupward speed of the glider, or in other words responsive to windresistance or air pressure. When it is desired to have the wings openearlier in the upward fiight, the rubber bands I9 and 20 have theirforward ends placed in one of the outer notches 2 I, which is not soclose to the pivot pin as is the notch 42. When a separate pivot isprovided for each wing, the wing opening means l9 and 20 may be adjustedin a simpler way than when only one pivot is used for both wings.

The pivots I9 and 20 are preferably split at the lower ends so as to beeasily spread apart somewhat after the manner of a cotter pin, yet easyfor amateurs to assemble, it being contemplated to ship or box the wingsand other parts of the glider illustrated detached or knocked down fromthe assembled position as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. In such case thedevice may be readily assembled by the youthful amateur without recourseto tools or other difficulty in assembling.

' I claim:

1. A toy aeroplane or glider comprising a body, a wing holder transverseto the body, spaced pivots on the holder, a wing secured to each pivotand adapted to extend at an angle to the body and also be foldedrearwardly, resilient means cooperating with each wing and holder foropening the wings and holding them open and located close to the wingpivot when the wing is folded whereby the force of said resilient meansis applied to the wing at a short distance from the pivot when each ofthe wings is folded and increases as the wing unfolds and an auxiliarysurface at an angle to the wing surface and of a size not substantiallymore than sufficient to offer wind resistance enough during and shortlyafter launching to overcome the force of said resilient means tending toopen the wings, said resilient means opening the wings when the windageon said auxiliary surface is reduced adjacent the top of the glidersflight.

2. A toy aeroplane or glider comprising a body, a wing holder transverseto the body, spaced pivots on the holder, a wing secured to each pivotand adapted to extend at an angle to the body and also be foldedrearwardly, resilient means cooperating with each wing and holder foropening the wings and holding them open and located close to the wingpivot when the wing is folded whereby the force of said resilient meansis applied to the wing at a short distance from the pivot when each ofthe wings is folded and increases as the wing unfolds and an auxiliarysurface at an angle to the wing surface and of a size not substantiallymore than suflicient to offer wind resistance enough during and shortlyafter launching to overcome the force of said resilient means tending toopen the wings, a pivoted mounting for said auxiliary surface, an.abutment against which said surface is retained while the wings arefolded, and means for moving said surface to clear said abutment whenthe wings are in operative position.

3. A glider comprising a body, wings pivoted thereto and adapted to befolded rearwardly, resilient means cooperating with said wings and bodyand tending to move the wings to an .open position, a fin attached toeach wing and capable of offering sufilcient wind resistance afterRaunching and with the wings folded to overcome the tendency of saidresilient means to open the wings until the glider is near the top ofits flight.

4. A glider comprising a body, wings pivoted thereto and adapted to befolded rearwardly, resilient means cooperating with said wings and bodyand tending to move the wings to an open position, a fin attached toeach wing and capable of offering suflicient wind resistance afterlaunching and with the wings folded to overcome the tendency of saidresilient means to open the wings until the glider is near the top ofits flight, and then allow the wings to open, each fin being pivoted tothe wing near the outer end thereof, an abutment against which each wingengages: on opening with a snap capable of rotating its fin to aposition where the same may offer reduced wind resistance.

5. A glider comprising a body, wings pivoted thereto and adapted to befolded rearwardly, resilient means cooperating with said wings and bodyand tending to move the wings to an open position, a fin attached toeach Wing and capable of ofiering sufiicient wind resistance afterlaunching and with the wings folded to overcome the tendency of saidresilient means to open the wings until the glider is near the top ofits fiight. and then allow the wings to open, each fin being pivoted tothe wing near the outer end thereof, an abutment against which each wingengages on opening with a snap capable of rotating its 5 folded, saidsnap of the wings against said first l0 abutments swinging the fins awayfrom said second abutments.

ANTHONY P. OHARE.

